


Dealing with the Fallout

by ToTheStarsWriting



Series: dragon!Alec [9]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Alec hates politics, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Badly Written Smut, But He's Good At It, First Time, Lydia Branwell & Alec Lightwood Friendship, Lydia isn't a bad guy, M/M, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Male-Female Friendship, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Politics, Protective Alec, Protective Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:38:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23987506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTheStarsWriting/pseuds/ToTheStarsWriting
Summary: Alec has to deal with the fallout of coming out to everyone in his work life while somehow making sure that he doesn't lose the Institute because of it. At the same time, he's got a very pissed off Clary who isn't happy about the choices he's made for her friend, a mother who won't speak to him, and two new members of the Clan to meet.Thankfully, he doesn't have to do it alone.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: dragon!Alec [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1369069
Comments: 73
Kudos: 654
Collections: Tales of Malec & Dragons





	1. Chapter 1

Alec managed to successfully avoid people for a full two days after his little revelation in the Ops Center. It wasn’t even intentional, really. With everything that they had on their plates, there was plenty enough to keep him busy. The Forsaken that had attacked the Jade Wolf, _another_ that had attacked the Institute. Plus, whatever his siblings and Clary were getting up to, which Alec was sure would spell trouble in the end.

For the most part, Alec was trying to ignore that last one until he absolutely had to. He wasn’t quite sure he was up for Clary’s level of trouble. Nor did he really want to deal with talking to his sister or his parabatai after coming out so openly.

He was pretty sure she hadn’t found out about Simon yet. If she had, Alec had no doubt Clary would be in there yelling at him, and Alec was _not_ looking forward to that conversation. Not after Magnus had warned him and explained the reasons why Clary might not be too happy.

Not that knowing beforehand would’ve changed Alec’s choice. It didn’t mean he really wanted to deal with it, though.

Honestly, Alec was trying to ignore pretty much everyone and everything, at least for a little while. There was only so long Alec could deal with the anger, disgust, and judgment that made his Institute smell like his worst nightmare. So, he hid out in his office.

For the most part, it seemed to be working for him. He didn’t even have to deal with Maryse. Since his revelation to her that Magnus was his _mate_ , she’d backed off, and Alec wasn’t exactly inclined to go and hunt her down. He had other things to keep him busy.

But there was only so long he could avoid dealing with the other big problem around the Institute.

It was the evening of the second day after Alec’s reveal when he found himself in his office doing a bit of paperwork that had slacked the past few days. So far, he’d been forced to deal with practicalities. Namely making sure that the Clave was aware of everything he could make them aware of without implicating himself in any sort of trouble. He wasn’t really in the mood to do it, to be honest. More than anything, he wanted to go back to Magnus’ loft and wrap himself up in his mate. But taking care of the Clan came first.

He was just about done when a knock came on his door. Alec resisted the urge to sigh. “Come in.”

To his surprise, it wasn’t one of his siblings coming to ask something of him, or someone else bringing him a problem.

It was Lydia.

She was calm and composed when she walked in. Just as commanding as always, and just as brash with it. She shut the door without waiting for any sort of further permission and then walked over to the other side of Alec’s desk to stand there and look down at him. “We need to talk.”

The dragon in Alec wanted to growl at her for being so brazen. This was _his_ office in _his_ Institute. But he knew better, and he pushed it down. With one hand, he gestured for her to sit down. “I’m assuming this is about Magnus.”

“Yes and no.” Pausing, Lydia surprised him by huffing a little and losing some of her tense posture. She sank down into one of the chairs, crossing her legs as she did, and she fixed him with a straightforward look. “Can I be blunt here, Alec?”

Huh. This wasn’t what Alec had expected. He set down his pen and sat back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap as he watched her. “Go right ahead.”

“I won’t lie and tell you I wasn’t stunned after your little revelation in the Ops Center the other day. Most all of us were. Not just at your relationship, but at the fact that you were willing to admit it so openly.”

Though Alec didn’t move, his attention sharpened on her. He narrowed his eyes. “Which part of it? The part where I’m with a man, or the part where I’m with a warlock?”

“Honestly?” Lydia said, raising an eyebrow at him. “Both.”

The fact that she was so willing to say out loud what people had so far only whispered behind his back was something that Alec found himself respecting her for a little. He couldn’t scent any hint of a lie on her. There was none of that sweaty fear-scent that Alec could so easily recognize on people. Lydia was stating facts without the emotions attached to it, and that eased Alec more than anything else she could’ve done. He got so tired of trying to figure out everyone’s feelings on things and how to work around them. Having someone who seemed to be as blunt as him was refreshing.

“You have to know that neither of those things is going to win you any favors anywhere,” Lydia told him.

That almost had Alec breaking his control and growling. Really, truly _growling_. Only sheer will kept him from doing it. But, _by the Angel_ , his dragon was so close to the surface lately! And it wasn’t happy with the way some people had been acting around them. Or where it concerned his mate.

“I didn’t choose Magnus or tell people about us to _win favors_ ,” Alec said firmly, in his best Head-of-the-Institute voice. Was that all any Shadowhunters thought of? Relationships for political gain? While Alec wasn’t above taking advantage of a political gain if there was one to be found, that wasn’t at all the reason he was with Magnus, and the perceived insult against his warlock had Alec on the defensive.

He was surprised to see as Lydia’s face softened with a small smile. Her scent grew just a bit warmer, like plants flowering under the sun. “I know you didn’t. Or, at least, I kind of figured that out. You honestly care for him. And judging by his face when you kissed him, I’d say he cares for you just as much.”

“He does.” Why, Alec had no idea, but he didn’t doubt it.

“A part of me wants to insist there are rules for a reason, and how being with a warlock has to break one of those…” Lydia’s smile softened into something just a shade sadder. Tinged in old memories. “I can’t imagine how I would’ve felt if someone told me I couldn’t be with John. Nor would I have listened to them. I would’ve gone to Edom itself if that was what it meant to have him. How can I fault you for doing the same for your partner?”

Alec briefly wished that Magnus was there with him. Or Isabelle. This seemed like one of those moments that he should say something kind to make her feel better. Only, he had no idea what it was he was supposed to say.

Luckily, he was saved from having to figure out anything. Lydia shook her head like she was dismissing those thoughts. Then she straightened back up, and she was back to all business again. “Just because I understand doesn’t mean you’re going to have this easy. The Inquisitor sent me here to make sure this place is running as best it can. You have some favor with her right now – and after she sees my report, you’ll probably have a little more. Finding out that you’re dating a warlock could blow all of that out of the water, though.”

“My rule of this Institute has nothing to do with my dating life.”

“I believe you,” Lydia said. “I just felt you should be aware of what might come your way.”

As if he wasn’t already. Alec was more than aware of the type of trouble this was going to bring him. But he wasn’t lying when he told Lydia that his dating life had nothing to do with how he ran this Institute. These were his people—his Clan—and Alec would protect them no matter what it took. Who he saw in his free time wasn’t going to affect that. If anything, having Magnus in his life only made Alec stronger. He made Alec a better person.

Alec met her gaze and nodded. “I understand.”

“I hope you do, Alec. And I hope it works out for the two of you.”

* * *

Her words stuck with Alec through the rest of his evening, and on his walk to the loft. But walking into the loft itself was almost enough to banish it. At the very least, it pushed those thoughts aside. Seeing Magnus, getting his ‘welcome home’ kiss, and remembering that Alec had the whole night before he had to be back to work, helped to kick off even more stress. Then again, being around Magnus was always good for relaxing him.

By the time they’d eaten dinner and ended up cuddled together on the couch, Alec felt a whole lot more relaxed than he had been.

Which, of course, was when Magnus decided to talk about whatever it was that had been so clearly on _his_ mind all night.

They were tucked together in one of their favorite positions in the corner of the couch. Magnus with his back to the corner while Alec was snug up against Magnus’ chest and under his arm. As always, Alec took advantage of the pose to reach up to the hand dangling in front of him and play with Magnus’ rings.

The quiet was comfortable, easy. Yet it wasn’t jarring for Magnus to speak up. They often sat together like this and talked about whatever came to mind. “You know, after you so boldly showed me off to your people, I was thinking that perhaps you might like to meet some of _mine_.” Magnus slanted a look down at him in that way that let Alec know this was a lot more important than the easy-going tone that Magnus was using. “I’m aware you already know Ragnor and Raphael both, but you’ve never met Raphael in any friendly sort of context, and you’ve never met Catarina.”

The idea that Magnus wanted to introduce Alec to his family had Alec letting out the happy little rumble that Magnus had taken to calling his _purr_. “I’d like that.”

He was rewarded with one of his favorite grins from Magnus. The one that took up his whole face and lit up his eyes. “Really?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you’re sure that you want me to meet them, why wouldn’t I want to? I like getting to know all the parts of your life.” More than that, Alec wanted to be a part of them. To take those bits of Magnus that he was willing to give and hoard them away in his heart the same way he hoarded bits of treasure. They were just as rare as some of the things Alec kept, and even more worthy of being cherished. _All_ parts of Magnus were worthy of love.

Magnus turned toward him. He brought one hand up to cup Alec’s cheek and tilt his face until he could bend down and kiss him. “I want you to meet them. I want the most important people in my life all in the same room.”

The gesture was sweet, and Alec pushed up and kissed Magnus again, just because he could.

When they pulled back, something occurred to Alec that had him tilting his head and studying Magnus’ face. After a second, he snorted. “You’ve already planned it, haven’t you?”

Magnus didn’t even try to look contrite about that. “Maybe.”

Rolling his eyes, Alec slumped back down in his seat, letting his head rest against Magnus’ shoulder again. He poked at the ring that had a fancy-looking M on it and wondered absently if he could convince Magnus to wear one with an A. Just to make damn sure the ones who couldn’t smell Alec’s scent on him would recognize that he was taken. “What if I’d said no?”

“Then I would’ve had a lovely dinner with my friends while you were off doing whatever it is you wanted to do.”

Shaking his head and battling down a smile, a common reaction when dealing with Magnus’ antics, Alec let himself sink a little more against his mate’s chest. “Are you sure you guys should be gathering right now? And isn’t Ragnor off in hiding somewhere?”

“I sent him a message to let him know I was thinking about introducing all of you, and he insisted on coming.”

Of course he had. Naturally. Because Ragnor was an old gossip who loved nothing more than watching drama unfold while insisting the whole time that he didn’t. He’d roll his eyes, bitch and moan about things, and yet the next big thing to happen, he’d somehow be in the middle of that, too.

When Alec said that out loud, it set Magnus off into peals of laughter that shook the both of them.

Alec smiled, content with having brought that kind of joy to Magnus, and he happily watched as Magnus wiped away a few tears while his laughter trailed off down to chuckles. “I’m very tempted to tell him you said that, darling.”

“You could.” Alec shrugged his shoulder lazily. “It’s not like I haven’t said it to him before.”

The arm Magnus had around Alec tightened a little, and then Magnus was leaning in to nuzzle at Alec’s hair in a gesture that was almost dragon-like. “Thank you.” The words were murmured softly against Alec’s hair like they were something rare and precious. Or as if Alec was. That thought made Alec want to shake his head. He wasn’t the rare or precious one here. That was clearly Magnus. The greatest jewel that Alec possessed, and that possessed him in return.

* * *

The two stayed where they were for a little while longer. With the heavier things out of the way, their conversation fell into something a lot easier and more relaxed. Alec knew his sibling would likely laugh if they knew how often he and Magnus sat around together like this. Just cuddled up comfortably with one another, either watching movies or talking. Sometimes, one of them would pull out a book and read a little, either to themselves or out loud. Those were some of Alec’s more favorite nights.

It was such a far cry from the way Alec had heard Jace or Isabelle talk about their experiences with others. Those always seemed to end up revolving around sex. Something which, while Alec was interested, he and Magnus hadn’t really… gotten into yet. For very valid reasons! Though, mostly on Alec’s half.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. Far from it. Alec wanted nothing more than to spend time with his boyfriend and finally take that step with him. He wanted to know Magnus in that most intimate of ways, and—though it scared him—he wanted to be known in return. Everything Alec had heard made it sound like it was an amazing experience. Alec wanted that experience.

He’d just been afraid. Not only of the act itself, either. Though that was definitely a part of it. Alec was new to the whole _sex thing,_ and he knew he wouldn’t have any idea what he was doing.

Mostly, though, his fear had always centered around his _control_. The idea of being in the middle of something intimate with Magnus and losing control of his powers or his form was just… terrifying. Completely and utterly terrifying. Before Magnus had found out about what Alec was, part of that fear had been in revealing himself to Magnus at the worst possible time. Now it was more a matter of accidentally hurting Magnus. And that was more terrifying than anything.

“You’re thinking awfully hard about something.”

Alec blinked his eyes to clear them. When he processed what had just been said to him, he wanted to flush a little at being so blatantly caught out at his lack of attention. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to ignore you.”

“Alexander.” Laughing a little, Magnus nudged him up, the two of them shifting in their seats until they were facing one another instead of curled into each other. Their drawn up knees brushed together while their faces were resting inches apart on the back of the couch. Magnus reached out and caught Alec’s hand in his. Then he smiled. “I wasn’t criticizing you, nor was I offended. I was just curious about what was going through your mind that drew your attention away.”

There were two ways this conversation could go. Either Alec could deny it and ignore it, the same as he’d been doing for a while now, or he could finally speak up and say something to Magnus. Tell him about his worries, his wants, and let Magnus help him through them the same way he had in everything so far.

The choice was an easy one. Alec curled their hands so that his fingers could get at the rings that sat on Magnus’ knuckles. He twisted them, steadying himself on the familiar touch of warm skin and cool silver. “I was thinking that I’d really like to stay here tonight. I want to… to take that next step with you.”

For a second, he wasn’t sure Magnus understood him. His brows were drawn down just the slightest bit. Then he abruptly went still, eyes flashing wide for a split second. His scent spiked with that cinnamon and pine that Alec had come to recognize as pure lust mixed in with a hint of pheromones. “Ah. That…wasn’t what I was expecting.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, absolutely not,” Magnus hurried to reassure him. “I’m not upset by the idea. Merely caught off guard. We’ve never exactly talked about this before. Though, I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re the one to bring it up. Your straightforwardness is as refreshing as it is occasionally startling, my dear.”

“How are we supposed to talk about it if neither of us actually _talk about it_?” That was something Alec just didn’t understand. Sure, he got the whole keeping secrets thing. Obviously. But in a relationship, shouldn’t the two parties be honest with each other? Share these kinds of things? That was the impression Alec had always gotten from Magnus through every step of their relationship.

Magnus didn’t give him time to worry about it. “I agree wholeheartedly. A good relationship is built on communication. I want you to always feel like you can come speak with me about things. No matter what those things may be. If this is what you want, I’m glad you felt like you could talk about it with me.”

“I do want this.” Alec made sure his voice was full of all the confidence he felt. He might be nervous about what they were about to do, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want it or he wasn’t sure. “I want you. I’m just… nervous. I never brought this up before, I know, but you…you know about me now.”

Realization hit Magnus’. His eyes went wide and then softened into something warmer. Gentler. He reached one hand up to stroke over Alec’s cheek. “You’re worried about losing control.”

Alec nodded at him. In more ways than Magnus realized. He wasn’t just worried about his glamour dropping and all the dragon-bits that he kept hidden being out on display. What if he dropped his control _too much,_ and his body took that to mean he needed to shift?

“I love you, Alexander. All of you. Though I can see your concern. Perhaps…” Pausing, Magnus hummed a little, tilting his head to the side as if in thought. “I want you to know I’m not asking this because I don’t believe I can handle things, but because I want to be prepared to handle whatever does happen. I’ve been with warlocks who have simple marks like mine, but also with some who have rather larger marks. Having those come out in the middle of things can be… interesting… if not prepared. Is there anything in specific I should be prepared for?”

The way he asked that was so matter-of-fact. Like he really _didn’t_ care what kind of answer Alec gave just. Like it was no big deal, really, just something he wanted to know to be prepared just like he said.

That casual ease made it so much easier for Alec to answer him honestly. Though his answer probably wasn’t what Magnus was hoping for. “I’m… not quite sure. I don’t typically let my glamour down anymore. It’s been a long time since I haven’t had _some_ form of it up unless I was fully shifting.” He wasn’t even sure he’d know how to actively let it down anymore.

“Well, I don’t think that’s quite on the agenda for tonight,” Magnus said teasingly. Then he winked. “We’ll save that sort of conversation for a later date.”

It took a second for Alec to realize what exactly it was Magnus meant with that. When he did, his eyes went wide. “Magnus!”

The little shit that he was, Magnus just grinned and patted at Alec’s arm in what he probably meant to be a reassuring gesture. “Don’t worry, darling. Like I said, that’s for later.”

Alec could only shake his head. He had no idea how to even begin to respond to that, so he mentally put it aside to think about later. Sometime when he _wasn’t_ occupied with something else.

When he caught Magnus’ eyes again, the warlock was watching him with the kind of gentle look that never failed to steal Alec’s breath away. He reached up to stroke his fingers down the line of Alec’s jaw. Then his hand moved to settle into that familiar spot right below Alec’s ear, thumb on his cheek and fingers in his hair. It was a touch that was special between the two of them. One that Magnus did with no one else. It always worked to calm Alec a little. The pure scent of Magnus right next to his face, the warmth of his touch, the crackle of his magic.

“We don’t have to do this tonight,” Magnus murmured. “We can talk about things and try to plan.”

Even as Magnus made the offer, Alec was already shaking his head. “I want to, Magnus. I really do. I just…you might, um, you might need to be a bit patient with me.”

The way that Magnus looked at him made it clear that it wasn’t going to be a problem. Not that Alec had thought it would be. Magnus was always patient and gentle with him. He seemed to know just what it was Alec needed. Even back before he’d known all of who and what Alec was.

That was why when Magnus suggested, “Why don’t we start with something simple, then?” there was no worry in Alec. No panic.

Licking his lips, Alec forced himself to focus. “Yeah?”

“Mm-hm.” Without another word, Magnus drew in a breath and closed his eyes. When he blew his breath back out and opened his eyes again, his glamour was gone.

Okay. _Okay_. Alec could see where he was going with this. It was simple enough. Letting go of the glamour over his eyes wasn’t something new or scary. He’d done it countless times here in the loft.

Magnus smiled at the sight of his eyes the same way he always did. “Hello there, beautiful.”

“Hey, you.”

“See?” Magnus stretched himself forward just a little to be able to press a kiss against Alec’s lips. When he settled back down in his seat, his smile was still there, still so unbearably soft. “That wasn’t so hard.”

“It’s not my eyes I’m worried about, Magnus.”

Alec was cut off by another kiss, just as brief as the last. “Hush, I know. That’s why we’re going to take this one step at a time, all right? That way, if at any point you feel like you’re going to lose control, we’ll be able to stop.” His fingers gave a soft little tug against Alec’s hair that was almost enough to have him purring. “You’ve got the control here, _sayang_. I trust you.”

Those last three words hit Alec right in the gut. To have Magnus say them so openly and so honestly, it was… Alec didn’t know how to put it into words. People trusted him day in and day out. They trusted him to watch their back on the job, to help keep them safe, to lead them, to protect. But the feeling that gave him was nothing compared to the one he had now when faced with Magnus’ soft, earnest words.

“I love you,” Alec said. It was the only thing he could think to say.

“I love you, too.”

With a strong and steady touch and hands that somehow still managed to be nothing but gentle, Magnus drew Alec up off the couch and then with him back toward the bedroom. _Their_ bedroom. It was the most warded place in the whole loft. The absolute best place to be if something did go magically wrong. Here, it’d keep the impact contained at the very least. Though Alec made a point to twist them once they were inside so that Magnus was the one closer to the door. If anything went wrong, he wanted Magnus to have an easy exit.

The amused look he got said the gesture didn’t go unnoticed. Yet, like he so often did with some of Alec’s quirks, Magnus said nothing about it. He just pushed Alec down to sit on the edge of the bed, and then promptly climbed into his lap.

This was a position the both of them were familiar with. They’d spent many a makeout session on the couch this way. Alec was well used to the weight of Magnus on his lap. It was comforting and familiar in ways that had his inner dragon giving a happy rumble.

Smiling, Magnus wound his arms around Alec’s neck.

“First things first, why don’t we both get a little bit more comfortable?” Magnus suggested.

The eyebrow wiggle he tacked on was enough to have Alec chuckling. _Trust Magnus to find a way to make this as easy as possible. Thank you, Raziel_. How on earth had Alec been so lucky as to find someone like this? Magnus always knew when Alec needed to be serious and when he needed something a little bit lighter to keep things from getting too tense.

Still smiling, Alec looked up at him. “What did you have in mind?”

He was rewarded with a bright, devilish grin that promised so much trouble and so much fun doing it. “For every layer I take off, you take something off. Be it a piece of clothes, or a bit of glamour.”

The idea was simple enough. Alec let his eyes run over what Magnus was wearing, taking it all in. When he caught sight of just how many rings and necklaces his boyfriend had on, he gave another chuckle. “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be a bit of a brat about this?”

“Alexander!” Magnus put a hand over his heart and affected a look of such fake shock it had Alec cracking up. “How could you even _imply_ something like that about me! I am absolutely _offended_ by this. Do you hear me? _Offended_.”

Alec was laughing so hard by that point, he had to grab hold of Magnus’ hips just to make sure he didn’t dump him off his lap. When he looked up again, his laughter down to just a few chuckles, it was to find Magnus watching him with a look of open adoration on his face. There wasn’t a single person in Alec’s life who had ever looked at him quite the way Magnus did. While Isabelle and Jace might sometimes look at Alec’s dragon form in awe, Magnus was the only being who had looked at Alec’s _human_ side with the very same kind of awe.

He didn’t know what to do with that kind of emotion. So instead of trying to speak – as if he would be able to get anything out past the knot of emotion tying up his throat – he pushed up for another kiss.

This one was longer, and a lot less chaste than the last. Alec could get lost in kissing Magnus for _hours_ if he were allowed. Which, sometimes, they did. Especially now that Alec didn’t have to try and hide his reactions to things. He could get just a little rumbly, spend a bit of extra time at Magnus’ pulse points, and not have to worry about giving himself away.

Only, Magnus drew back this time far before Alec was ready to be done. He would’ve voiced a protest, except he opened his eyes to find that Magnus was reaching down to undo the buttons on his shirt. What little that were done.

In no time, he was shrugging his shoulders and letting the shirt fall to the floor. Miles and miles of suddenly open skin were right there on display. Alec wanted to lean in to taste, touch, _mark_. Make sure that no one would ever be able to doubt this beautiful creature was _his_.

As if he could read what Alec was thinking, which was unfairly likely, Magnus grinned. “Your turn.”

Maybe it was a bit cowardly, but Alec followed suit, pulling off his shirt as well and tossing it down to the floor. Not that Magnus seemed to mind in the least. His eyes lit the same way they always did when he got to see Alec without his shirt. Sometimes Magnus acted like it was the first time he was seeing Alec like this. Like there was no way he could get enough.

This time when they kissed, they didn’t just keep their hands still. Though Alec held one hand on Magnus’ hip to make sure he stayed in place, his other traveled up his back, tracing the nobs of his spine, the flare of his shoulder blades. Magnus was mapping Alec’s body out in turn.

The next items to go were shoes, for both of them. And then one of Magnus’ necklaces. He drew it off and banished it over to his jewelry box.

Alec knew he could’ve gone for any number of the items he was still wearing. Pants, socks, underwear. But there was a reason they were doing this, and it was one he’d _wanted_.

For so long, Alec’s forms had always been a firm _one or the other_. Sometimes things slipped through, mannerisms, gestures, instincts, even his eyes. But he’d never really let the two _blend_ in the way Ragnor had always insisted he’d be able to. He kept a glamour so tightly around himself it was almost as much a part of him as the air he breathed.

Reaching down to that glamour was harder than Alec had expected it to be. He had a brief moment to wonder if maybe he should’ve done this alone first, tried to test this out in his hoard or somewhere else safe. Instead, he was sitting here on Magnus’ bed, with Magnus _in his lap_ , and oh, _Angel_ , this was such a bad idea. _Such a bad idea._

Warm, firm hands cupped Alec’s cheeks. He looked up, barely even realizing that he’d closed his eyes, to find Magnus had pushed up a little on his knees so that he was better able to look down at him. It made Alec feel sheltered.

“Alexander, you don’t have to do this. Not until you’re ready for it. And if that’s never, that’s okay, too. This is on your terms, _sayang_ , no one else’s. I’ll love you, no matter what.”

Some of the tension that had been building in Alec slowly faded away at those words. Though his fear didn’t leave him completely, he found it a whole lot easier to close his eyes once more and reach down into that place deep down at the center of his magic. It wasn’t quite what he’d need to shift. Like this, Alec could see that he wasn’t going to have to worry about that. Shifting was far too conscious a thing for him. This was different. Alec could reach out and take hold of the bits of magic he’d twined around himself and slowly but surely peel them away.

When he blinked his eyes open once more, it was to find Magnus staring down at him once more in awe.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter is poorly written smut. If you don't want to read that, skip to the last line break. The last section starts with "Magnus fell asleep"
> 
> As for the rest, enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you think!

Magnus wasn’t entirely sure what he’d been expecting when Alec finally let go of the tight hold he had over himself. Seeing his true eyes were beautiful. Seeing him as a dragon was, too. All forms of him were beautiful to Magnus, and the warlock had no doubt that this one would be as well.

Only, he hadn’t been at all prepared for just how gorgeous his beloved was going to be.

It happened slowly, like a wave of water running down from head to toe, washing away bits of Alec as they went to reveal what sat underneath.

What came wasn’t anything as large as either of them were fearing. No wings or horns or anything of the like came popping out. But a small smattering of scales began to show, just as dark as his runes. They ran along his hairline in a long strip that, when the light hit it, seemed to sparkle and shine like a jeweled crown. There were some on his nose, of all places, that Magnus immediately wanted to kiss. More appeared on his neck, down his arms, and even on the fronts of his hips.

More than anything in the world Magnus wanted to lean forward and chase the path of those scales with his fingers and tongue. They looked softer than what Magnus was used to seeing, and he wanted to test that out. Find out if they were as smooth as they looked.

Alec opened up his eyes, those black and purple depths swirling with love and magic in equal measure, and it had Magnus’ breath catching in his chest. “Oh, Alexander.”

Had there ever been a more beautiful sight?

Later, Magnus would insist that he wasn’t the least bit to blame for his next actions. After all, who could resist themselves when sitting in the lap of the most gorgeous being in existence? He did the only logical thing to do—he tackled Alec to the bed and kissed him with every ounce of passion inside him.

Alec certainly didn’t complain. He went with it, hands capturing Magnus and holding him close, and then he gave a surprise of his own by putting one hand on Magnus’ hip, one on his upper back, and _rolling_ them over until he was the one on top.

Magnus might’ve stared for a moment. A little. He very much did _not_ drool. (A fact he was quite proud of) “That was… ridiculously attractive.”

So was the small smirk that ghosted over Alec’s lips. Some of the confidence that Magnus had seen on him when dealing with his Shadowhunters at the Institute, or when he was in his dragon form, was clearly leaking through right along with everything else. “I know.” His nose gave a small twitch that…oh sweet magic, his _nose_. No doubt he could scent the increase in pheromones or something like that.

Chuckling a little at whatever look that thought had put on Magnus’ face, Alec slid his hands free so that he could brace them on either side of Magnus’ head. He bent in until their faces were just inches apart. Where Magnus could feel their breath mingling together between them. He watched as Alec drew in a deliberate breath, his tongue flicking out to taste over his lips, and a moan tumbled unbidden past Magnus’ lips.

“This form really doesn’t bother you,” Alec said. There was only a hint of a question at the edges of it. Not like he was asking it, but more like he couldn’t quite believe what he was saying.

Magnus grinned up at him and shamelessly. “Alexander, I’m currently discovering an entirely new set of kinks I wasn’t previously aware of.”

The laugh that Alec gave was huskier than normal, edged with a rumbly-growl, which was more than enough to have Magnus shivering. _That_ was definitely a kink he’d become aware of since the very first time Alec had let one of those rumbles free. He _loved_ getting his boyfriend to the point that he didn’t even realize he was making those sounds.

“We’ll have to talk about those another time,” Alec said, smiling. He licked his lips again—and was it Magnus’ imagination, or was his tongue…? _Fuck._ It was _forked._ His tongue was _forked_. There wasn’t any time for Magnus to get caught up in that revelation. Alec’s grin was growing into something devious, and he was bending in to brush his nose against Magnus’ cheek, letting him feel the tickle of scales there. “I want to explore. Take my time learning you tonight. Will you let me?”

“Oh _fuck_ ,” Magnus breathed out, causing Alec to give a startled laugh. “I will absolutely never say no to a proposition like that, Alexander.”

He could handle this. He could. Magnus had been with countless people over the centuries he’d been alive. Though this might test his restraint a little, he’d been through plenty of scenarios where he’d been tied down and teased before, just as he’d done the same to other lovers. He could hold out against the eager ministrations of his virgin lover.

That was what he told himself, at least.

Right up until he felt that forked tongue flicking at the bottom of his ear, and teeth that were just a little bit sharper than normal were scraping down his neck.

There was no way he was going to survive this. But, oh, what a brilliant way to go!

Alec’s touch was firm, nowhere near as shy as Magnus had expected it to be, and yet it carried the same reverence he showed whenever he helped Magnus with his jewelry. Or, really, did anything with him. He treated Magnus like he was the greatest piece of treasure he had, and it was _glorious_.

Magnus lost track of the world around him as Alec moved down his neck to his collarbone. The sharp nip there had Magnus crying out, hands flying to Alec’s shoulders to grip on. For a brief second Alec paused, those flashing purple eyes darting up toward his face. Then, still staring, he bent and nipped again, a little harder this time, and followed it up by a sucking kiss. Magnus’ toes were curling against his sheets. “Alec, _Alec_.”

“You always make such pretty sounds when I touch you here,” Alec murmured against his skin. He trailed kisses lower, over his chest, until he was hovering over Magnus’ nipple. “And here, too.” His tongue flicked out to taste and tease. “Your scent spikes. You _really_ like being touched here.”

“I, _oh_ ,” Magnus cut off with a gasp when Alec closed his lips around his nipple. “Oh fuck, Alexander. I’ve always liked having my nipples played with.” Centuries had passed since Magnus was ashamed of what he liked in bed. He had no issue saying it, and Alec, blessed _be_ , had no issue taking the direction. He still flushed a little with some of Magnus’ more direct statements yet that didn’t stop him from following through with them.

This wasn’t the first time they’d been shirtless together. Nor was it the first time Alec had gotten his mouth on Magnus’ chest. But it _was_ the first time he was doing it with so much of his dragon-self close to the surface.

All that focus, all that confidence, all the sheer _command_ that Alec possessed as a dragon, all of that was centered directly on Magnus.

Alec spent _ages_ playing with Magnus’ nipples. By the time he began to move lower, he’d left quite a few marks behind. Marks that Magnus would happily wear with pride the next time he went out to the club. They’d show through with the shirts he liked to wear. He wanted that. He wanted _everyone_ to see.

When he told Alec as much, it got him a deeper growl than ever, right up against the spot where Magnus’ bellybutton should’ve been.

A finger hooked at the top of Magnus’ pants and gave a light tug. When he looked down, he found Alec staring up at him once more. “You know, I think you’re a little behind,” Alec said teasingly, tugging again on the pants. “I think I’m at _least_ a few layers ahead of you.”

It took a moment for Magnus to place what on earth it was he was talking about. Once he did, he chuckled. “My apologies, darling. I was slightly _distracted_.”

“That’s okay.” Alec’s smile grew. Then he tugged again, still with just one finger, and the only warning Magnus had was the crackle of magic that was starting to become almost as familiar to him as his own. Between one blink and the next his pants and boxers were gone.

Magnus felt his heart stutter in his chest. He knew his eyes were wide, and that he was gaping just a little, two decidedly unattractive things. Only, he couldn’t help himself. Alec had just _magically banished his clothes_. Despite having been with other warlocks in the past who could do the same, this was different. It was so different. “Hello power kink.”

He would never get tired of making Alec laugh. The fact that he could still do it while they were in bed made it even better. The best relationships were ones where they could laugh even at moments like this.

All thoughts of making Alec laugh—or really any thoughts at all—were banished from Magnus’ head when Alec ducked down and nosed along his thigh, right up against the most intimate parts of him. He felt the stubble on Alec’s cheek brush against his cock, making him moan. That moan deepened when Alec buried his head further down and Magnus realized Alec was _smelling him_. Sweet merciless Lilith!

Some small part of Magnus had a moment to lament the fact that he hadn’t known this was going to happen. He’d had no time to get himself ready. No shower, no carefully chosen clothes and jewelry. If he’d known, he would’ve made sure his body was as clean as he could get it.

Not that Alec was complaining. His eyes, when he lifted his head once more to fucking nuzzle against Magnus’ cock, were half-closed and dazed looking.

“Are you all right?” Magnus meant for his voice to be steady at that, but there was a faint quaver there he knew gave him away. He wanted to check in and make sure that Alec really was handling this fine. For all the confidence he was suddenly showing, he was still new at this, and he wasn’t used to having his senses as strong as they clearly were. Not without being in dragon form.

Alec smiled happily. “Yeah. Magnus, you smell…” He drew in another breath, looking so very blissed out.

The sheer pleasure on Alec’s face was so remarkable to see. Magnus reached out just to trace it across his features. “You are stunning, my love.” The words were as easy and natural as breathing. How could he keep them inside with Alec looking this way right in front of him?

Alec gave a low, happy rumble, tilting to nuzzle Magnus’ fingers with a low “ _Mate_ ” that sent a zing through Magnus’ blood. His magic crackled along his skin in response, an uncontrolled burst of sheer happiness.

Then Alec leaned in and flicked his tongue out; one swipe from base to tip of Magnus’ cock with that forked tongue. A low, almost pained grunt tore from Magnus, and he had to fight to keep his hips on the bed. _God_! Magnus had been on the receiving end of plenty of blowjobs over his very long life. He couldn’t remember any of them feeling like _this_.

Magnus slid his fingers away from Alec’s face up into his hair. Without even realizing it, he threaded his fingers in, tugging a little. He didn’t notice until Alec let out another happy rumble and pushed up into his hand.

Magnus could read the silent language his lover was giving him. As Alec leaned in to lick again, and again, and _again_ , Magnus let his fingers curl and tug on those dark locks, drawing moans from Alec that Magnus wanted nothing more than to hear _more_ of.

As Alec took the head of Magnus’ cock into his mouth, he gave another happy rumble and slid further down, far further than he should’ve been able to for a first time. Magnus tightened his hand in Alec’s hair, his other hand flying off to the side to grip at the sheets, and he had to fight not to curl his body around Alec’s head or thrust up into his mouth. “ _Fuck!”_

How the hell was it that someone could look so smug with their mouth full? Alec was smirking at him when he pulled almost all the way off and then sank back down again.

For someone who had never done something like this before Alec sure seemed to catch on quickly. Or maybe it was something more than that. Maybe it was that while Alec was definitely concentrating on Magnus’ pleasure, he was also entirely focused on filling his senses. Lost in his _own_ pleasure in a way that Magnus had never seen him allow himself before. Like there was nothing more in the world he wanted than to be able to lay here and taste Magnus like this. Learn his flavor, his scent, in every way possible.

Magnus’ job was to try not to lose control too quickly. Alec had no real technique, but, oh, he had passion and a joy in what he was doing, and Magnus found himself coming quickly unraveled underneath that.

“Fuck, Alec, _Alec_ , _ohhh_!” Magnus gave another tug against Alec’s hair, earning him a moan that had Magnus’ toes curling and his vision fuzzing out just a bit. He was gripping at his control by his fingertips. “Darling, if you don’t, don’t stop, this is gonna… _ohh, fuck_ …be over far quicker than we want.”

That didn’t deter Alec at all. If anything, he doubled down, pushing once more until Magnus reached the back of his throat and then _kept going_.

It felt so fucking good! Magnus made the mistake of looking down, wanting desperately to look at his angel. But he wasn’t the least bit prepared to see the sheer _bliss_ on Alec’s face. Eyes closed, attention fully focused on sucking Magnus’ cock, Alec looked like there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

Then Alec started those soft growling-purrs, and Magnus’ world whited out on a tsunami of pleasure.

He barely had time to gasp a warning. One that Alec completely ignored. He pushed himself down again, and that was it, Magnus was gone, his orgasm washing over him in waves that stole his breath and set his whole body trembling.

Alec kept purring even when Magnus was lying there trembling and whining from overstimulation. He drew back, gently nosing against Magnus’ cock as he did, and then at his hip. Magnus’ hand went from tugging at Alec’s hair to weakly stroking at it, which seemed to make Alec purr all the more. He laid down where he was, his face pillowed against the top of Magnus’ hip, and he was nuzzling at where Magnus’ belly button should’ve been like he wanted nothing more than to just stay right there.

As if Magnus would complain about that. He was happy to let Alec nuzzle in and just ride out the high for a little while. But just for a few minutes. “Once my brain starts working properly again, I’ll pay you back for that.”

“I’m in no rush,” Alec said lowly. His purr still hadn’t stopped. It made his voice extra gravelly.

Magnus rolled his head to the side so that he could look down the length of his body at his lover below him. In the low light of the bedroom Alec looked even more ethereal than normal. His eyes were half open, yet Magnus could glimpse flashes of light and dark purple behind those long lashes. His scales were glittering, glowing, and Magnus wanted desperately to see what they might look like in low candlelight.

A smirk lazily curved its way over Magnus’ lips. That was easy enough to find out.

With Alec draped the way he was it took only a quick shift in muscles for Magnus to gather himself and then _push_. His hips shoved against Alec’s shoulders and forced the two of them to roll. The instant they did, Magnus was reaching down with his magic and using it to drag Alec _up_.

They ended with Alec’s head up on the pillows, and Magnus kneeling on all fours over him, caging Alec’s body in with his own.

Magnus grinned down at him. “Well hello there, beautiful.”

Amusement and lust were practically coming off Alec in waves. His smile was that small one that was Magnus’ and Magnus’ alone. He’d only ever seen Alec turn it his way. “Hello.”

He’d had a purpose in mind behind this move. More than just getting Alec underneath him, though that was quite a nice bonus. Shifting his weight, Magnus pushed himself up so that he sat on his heels, his weight balanced just above where Alec wanted him to be. He had no shame in putting a little roll into his body as he did it. The way that Alec’s eyes traveled over him was like a caress. One Magnus swore he could _feel_.

Before he could get distracted once more, Magnus lifted a hand and snapped, sending out a small pulse of magic to shut off the lights and to summon and light an array of candles. For anyone else they might’ve found the gesture a bit cheesy. Cliched. Alec? Alec looked around and let his smirk grow a little more as he did. Then he looked back at Magnus. “Setting the mood?”

“Exactly.” That was a concept Magnus had been trying to teach Alec lately. Not necessarily in the manner of romance. While Alec might not always recognize the more human trappings like mood setting and such like that – something which Magnus understood a lot more now that he’d seen just how important things like touch and scent were for his boyfriend – he was still good at creating a lovely date. But the Head of the New York Institute needed to be able to command all the awe and respect he so rightly deserved. Magnus had been teaching him how to do that.

Alec looked up at Magnus without any of the masks or artifice that Magnus was so used to seeing on any of his lovers. “You look beautiful in the candlelight.”

“I doubt anyone could hold a candle to you, my darling dragon.” Magnus let his weight fall forward again, catching himself on his hands. Just like he’d thought – the flickering light from the candles had Alec’s scales shining like jewels. It only served to make the purple of his eyes stand out even more. Magnus hummed. Then he gave in to his earlier urges and bent down to press a kiss against the scales on Alec’s nose. “So beautiful, Alexander.”

“Yes, you are,” Alec murmured.

Magnus grinned and shook his head. Instead of arguing it, he just kept on kissing, trailing his lips over the crown of scales over Alec’s brow. He set out to do exactly what he’d wanted earlier when he first saw the scales. Magnus followed their path and tasted, touched, kissed, each and every bit of them.

They weren’t quite as soft as Magnus had expected. They were as smooth and hard as jewels, yet warm. Though nowhere near as warm as Alec’s skin.

While Magnus wasn’t as into scent as Alec was, he had a wonderful time cataloguing _taste_ , chasing it across Alec’s scales and skin down his face toward his neck, pausing only long enough to kiss those irresistible lips. Alec’s hands came up to settle on Magnus’ hips while they kissed. When they broke apart, Magnus grinned at him and bumped their noses. “My turn, angel. Just lay back and enjoy.”

He didn’t let Alec protest that. Magnus slid his lips along the edge of Alec’s jaw, down toward that gorgeous deflect rune that always drew his attention. It wasn’t the first time he’d gotten the chance to get his mouth on it. Nor would it be the last. Magnus loved to leave marks buried in the black ink. It gave him a thrill to know how Alec never tried to heal those ones. He left them there. Marks left by a demon child in the rune given by the angel. There was something sinfully sacrilegious about it that Magnus loved.

There was so much of Alec for Magnus to explore. Parts of him he’d seen before, and parts that were the same, but there were also all these new pieces. Beautiful scales, a faint shift in muscles, a slight narrowing at the waist. Alec was wonderfully, gloriously beautiful, and entirely unashamed of it as he lay there and let Magnus worship at him.

Where Alec’s touch had been almost reverent, like Magnus was some treasure he wanted nothing more than to cherish and care for while keeping it selfishly to himself, with a little hint of possessiveness that made it all such a thrill, Magnus’ touch was _worshipful_. He moved over Alec’s body with lips, teeth, tongue, and hands, worshiping every bit of his lover that he could reach. Each kiss was a devout prayer pressed against the skin of the most glorious of gods.

“Magnus.” Alec’s hands slid up the more that Magnus moved down. They were at Magnus’ shoulders now, stroking at the skin of his neck while Magnus sucked at Alec’s nipple. He nipped at it, testingly, and enjoyed the way that Alec gasped and arched up into it. “Oh!” The boy had no shame in trying to press himself against Magnus’ mouth. No one had ever taught him to restrict his pleasure. He gave it all to Magnus without shame or any sort of artifice. It was _thrilling_.

Magnus sucked and nipped until Alec’s nipple stood there, hard and red. Then he moved over and repeated the same on the other side. Above him, Alec was gasping. He wasn’t dirty-mouthed like Magnus often was. He was soft sighs, gasps, and the occasional rumbles, all interspaced with Magnus’ name. The higher his pleasure went the more nonverbal he seemed to become.

By the time Magnus had reached the top of Alec’s pants all of Alec’s sighs and gasps had turned into an almost constant purring rumble that was deeper than Magnus had ever heard it. The sound vibrated through Magnus and let him shivering and his body trying valiantly to get hard again.

Magnus lifted his hand and watched Alec’s face as he snapped away the rest of Alec’s clothes. He enjoyed the flash there. The same heat that Magnus had felt earlier when Alec banished his clothes away.

Slowly, deliberately, Magnus let his gaze travel the length of Alec’s body, following each scale pattern, each muscle, each dip and curve, until he finally got his first glimpse of Alec from the waist down. Magnus couldn’t stop his low hum when he did. Alec’s cock stood tall and hard, already leaking a little, and oh, fuck, the boy was just as proportional as Magnus had hoped he would be. While he looked to be just a little less than Magnus in length, he was wider, and Magnus’ mouth watered at the idea of getting to taste him.

Unlike Alec, who had licked, tasted, and teased without actually meaning to tease, Magnus didn’t bother with that. He didn’t waste time trying to rile his boyfriend up. Alec was already there. Instead, Magnus leaned in and, with his eyes on Alec, swallowed him down at least halfway.

He was prepared for the way Alec’s hips jerked at that. Magnus was already there, hands pressing his hips down into the bed to keep him in place. The purr that Alec was making only grew stronger at that. _Oh, he liked that!_ Magnus groaned and slid his mouth further down.

It’d been a while since Magnus had sucked a cock like this. Alec was just thick enough to make him a mouthful. One that Magnus was happily enjoying. He let himself get a little lost in the taste and weight of it on his tongue. He drew back, sucking as he went, and then slid back down again, tugging at the foreskin as he went.

He built up a steady rhythm of that, pulling off and then sliding back down, deeper and deeper each time. He had no illusions about how long Alec was going to last. Between being a virgin and getting as turned on as he had while blowing Magnus it was going to test what little restraint Alec had. Not that Magnus cared in the least bit. This wasn’t about trying to last. They’d have time for marathons later. This time, Magnus just wanted desperately to make Alec come.

Alec’s hips were jerking a little against Magnus’ hands. His own hands had dropped off of Magnus and fallen to grip at the bedsheets. Magnus looked up as he slid down yet again and watched the way that Alec was throwing his head back, how his chest arched up on a ragged gasp. He could feel the way Alec’s thighs were trembling against his shoulders. _Almost there_.

Magnus wanted to tell him how beautiful he looked. How _stunning_. With the glittering of those scales in the flickering light, the light crackle of magic around his hands, that blissed out expression on his face. Alec was _gorgeous_ and Magnus wanted nothing more than to devour him.

One last draw up, and then Magnus was sinking down again, pushing Alec against the back of his throat. He fought against the gag reflex long enough to sink that last little bit and take Alec into his throat.

Alec’s purr became a rumbling growl, and his body strained harder against Magnus’ hold. Somewhere in that growling came a low sound that might’ve been Magnus’ name.

If he could’ve, he would’ve grinned. As it was, Magnus settled for swallowing and then moaning as he drew back up, and that was it. Alec’s magic exploded into the room around them while his body went tight, muscles clenching down. Magnus had pulled back just enough to not choke as Alec’s release filled his mouth. He swallowed it down, surprised by faintly _smoky_ edge to it.

Magnus drew back as he swallowed the last bit. He knew he probably looked smug. How could he not? Alec was lying there on the bed looking completely fucked out. Fine little tremors were running through Alec’s thighs. Magnus could feel it as he stroked soothingly at them.

Hazy eyes blinked up at Magnus. Then a faint, lazy grin quirked up one corner of Alec’s mouth. He held a hand up toward Magnus in a clear invitation that the warlock was helpless to resist. He climbed up Alec’s body and let himself get tugged in closed and cradled in Alec’s arms.

They ended up on their sides, face to face, with Alec holding Magnus close and tight. His little dragon was nuzzling at him and breathing Magnus in with a sigh of content that sounded so happy.

To Magnus’ surprise, he didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with words. It didn’t feel heavy or awkward. It just felt… good. The same way it always did with them. They had so many moments outside the bedroom where they didn’t have to speak in one another’s company. Just as often as they fell into easy conversation that could go on for hours. Was it any real surprise that they were the same way in the bedroom?

Alec was the one who eventually broke that quiet. His voice was soft when he murmured a “Thank you” against Magnus’ lips.

There were words underneath those that Magnus could hear. Alec wasn’t just thanking him for an orgasm, though it was on the tip of Magnus’ tongue to make a joke to that affect. No, he knew Alec was thanking him for so much more than that. _Thank you for taking care of me, thank you for not making fun of me, thank you for loving me._

Magnus smiled and kissed him back. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The two cuddled in impossibly closer, and Magnus sighed away any the last hints of the day, letting it all fade as he lay there, safe and comfortable inside wards watched by both him and his lover, protected even more by the dragon purring against him.

* * *

Magnus fell asleep wrapped up in everything _Alec_ – and he woke up to what felt like an empty bed. Lying on his stomach with his face buried in a pillow, Magnus could tell that there was no weight in the bed next to him. No one on either side of him. Likely for a while, judging by the quick peek Magnus took that showed him he’d gravitated toward the center of the bed and sprawled himself out.

He gave a low grumble and closed his eyes again. Damn these early-rising Shadowhunters. Alec had slept over often enough by now that Magnus was used to the mornings where Alec got up earlier than he’d like to go and take care of some sort of trouble or other. Often enough the trouble was something caused by his darling parabatai or Clary. Much as Magnus liked those two, he was going to curse them if they didn’t stop interrupting his early-morning-snuggles.

“What’re you grumbling about?”

Magnus was so convinced he was alone the sound of a voice coming from right behind him had him jumping. He twisted, ready to spin and look, only to find that there was a weight pressing down in the small of his back that he hadn’t noticed before. How the hell hadn’t he noticed it?

Then that voice registered through the sleepy haze on his brain, and Magnus sank down into the bed. He knew that voice. Lower and somewhat _smaller_ than he was used to hearing it, yes, but familiar nonetheless. “Alexander.”

“You’re grumbling about me?” Alec’s weight shifted very gently against Magnus’ back. Magnus had spelled the blankets a while back, though, which meant there was no way Alec’s claws or scales were going to tear through. A bonus, seeing as how his lover had decided sometime during the night that he wanted to be a dragon.

Magnus rolled his head to the side so that he could peek over his shoulder. “No, I’m not grumbling at you. Not really.” _Just that I thought you were gone_.

Alec gave a rumble of his own. He shifted again until Magnus could feel his weight going from one solid ball to four little points of pressure. Those feet walked their way up Magnus’ back. They stopped just shy of the top of the blankets, right below his neck. Alec flopped back down there, his neck extending so that his head was on Magnus’ shoulder right near his face.

No matter how many times Magnus got to see Alec in his dragon form, he wasn’t sure he’d ever get over just how beautiful he was. Or how _adorable_ this smaller form was. “Good morning, darling.”

Alec gave a rumbling purr. He didn’t even bother opening his eyes. Just lay his head there and huffed out a low, “Morning.”

“Still tired?”

Another hum from Alec came in lieu of an answer. Either he really was just that tired or he was even more snuggly than normal after a night of lovemaking. Though Magnus wouldn’t have thought that possible. Alec was already extremely cuddly anytime they were within proximity of one another. More so when they were in bed.

The shift from human to dragon was a bit different. But, again, not something that Magnus was going to complain about. Why on earth would he? He adored this version of his lover.

However, a quick glance over at the clock had Magnus wincing. He looked back over at Alec’s little face and couldn’t quite resist the urge to smile. “Much as I would love to keep cuddling with you, if you don’t get up soon you’re going to be late for work, my love.”

Little crinkles appeared around Alec’s nostrils. He huffed, sending out small curls of smoke. “Don’t wanna go to work.”

Somehow Magnus managed not to outright _coo_ at Alec’s disgruntled little face. “Any particular reason why?”

“It’s full of stupid people I’m not allowed to eat,” Alec said bluntly, startling a laugh out of Magnus. The shaking that caused didn’t disturb Alec at all. He stayed where he was and even managed to sigh and loll his head even more dramatically than he already had been. “Can’t I stay here with you?”

Magnus’ smile was big enough to crinkle his eyes. He drew his arms up, folding them underneath his pillow so that it lifted his head a bit, allowing him to better look at Alec’s face. “Much as I’d love to have you here with me, you do have a job. One that you generally enjoy despite the frustrations it causes you.”

“If they knew I was a dragon they wouldn’t give me half as much trouble.” A yawn stretched Alec’s jaws wide, his sharp teeth and forked tongue briefly showing. Then he flopped his head back down again. “They’d be too terrified to disobey. Things would run so much smoother that way.”

Looking at Alec right now it was hard to picture anyone being terrified of him. Magnus wanted to draw him forward and cuddle the adorable little dragon against his chest and let him sleep until he was ready to wake up. He wanted to curl up with just the two of them in this bed and let the rest of the world go on without them. At least for a little while. He wanted to keep Alec _here_ , where he knew he’d be safe. Not just from the Clave, or his mother, or whatever Shadowhunters at the Institute were clearly giving Alec trouble, but from Valentine. From this blasted war. One that threatened to take his love from him.

A gentle brush against his cheek brought Magnus’ attention out of his thoughts and back on his boyfriend. He found Alec watching him with concern, his usual glare looking more concerned now than anything. “Magnus?”

“I’m fine,” Magnus said. When Alec’s frown only deepened, Magnus smiled at him. “I am. I simply got lost in my thoughts of what waits for us outside these walls. Though I’d love to stay here with you, we both have far too much responsibility.”

It was only a half an answer, but Alec didn’t need to know just how much Magnus was worrying about him. Likely it would only offend his pride.

Alec grumbled and drew his head in closer to Magnus so that he could hide his face against Magnus’ jaw and neck. “I want to stay here with you. Your bed smells so much better than the Institute. Everyone there smells so angry all the time. It burns my nose.”

For the moment Magnus glossed past the warm glow that came at hearing how much Alec loved the smell of the loft and _their_ bed and chose to focus instead on the second half of that. There wasn’t anything he could do to make people stop smelling so angry around the Institute, no matter how much he wished he could. But perhaps he could help a little with distracting him. “I have an idea. Why don’t you go shower, and by the time you get out, I’ll have something ready for you that might help.”

“You’re not going to come shower with me?”

Magnus chuckled at the brazen question. His Alexander was bold, always, yet it seemed he was even more so like this. “Not this morning, no. Or we’re both going to be quite later than we already are. And you aren’t the only one with obligations this morning, my dear. I have a few clients and things this morning to make sure my evening was free. You should try to do the same. Don’t forget, we have our dinner party tonight.”

The mention of the dinner party was mostly ignored. Magnus knew it was the mention of his own work that finally had Alec starting to stir. He did it with a heavy, dramatic sigh that had Magnus stifling another laugh, pushing himself up and standing on Magnus’ back. Judging by the feeling of his movement he was likely stretching. Then there was a low flap of wings. Alec’s weight disappeared off of Magnus’ back, allowing him to roll over. He found Alec lazily hovering above the bed.

Even in his small form there was something majestic about Alec like this. He looked like a dark, shining jewel floating over the bed, amethyst eyes twinkling as they looked down at Magnus.

“You’re beautiful,” Alec murmured with such stark honesty. He was looking at Magnus like he was the greatest jewel he’d ever seen. The very best of his treasures.

Magnus smiled softly at him. “I was thinking the same about you. You are _magnificent_ , my love.”

“Nothing could hold a candle to you.”

“Charmer.” Magnus winked at him, and then waved a hand Alec’s way. “Quit distracting me. Go, shower. If you want time for your surprise, I suggest you hurry.”

Alec flicked his tail Magnus’ way in a teasing sort of way and then twisted his body and flew toward the bathroom. The light flicked on without being touched. Magnus could hear the light thud when Alec was out of sight that told him his boyfriend had made the switch back to human form. A minute later the shower was turned on.

Shaking his head, Magnus laid back down, happily wallowing in his bedding for a little bit. A snap of his fingers got him the items he wanted. He found himself clothed in one of Alec’s shirts as well as a scarf. With a little magic to help him, plus some ridiculous rolling around in bed while Alec was too occupied to see, Magnus would be able to make sure that the two articles of clothing were practically saturated with their shared scent.

Maybe he couldn’t go to the Institute with Alec and make everyone smell better to his poor dragon’s senses. Nor could he stop people from being angry or upset about what was going on. What he _could_ do was make sure that Alec was able to take something with him that would remind him of what he had waiting for him at home.

That absent thought of _home_ , the way that he’d come to think of this as their home, not just his, reminded Magnus of something else he’d wanted to do. Something that he’d been thinking about for a little while now. With Alec finally out about their relationship, it might be the perfect time here soon to start seriously thinking about making this _their_ home.

The idea of having Alec here with him, not just sometimes but _all the time_ , was one that had Magnus happily burrowing down into his blankets. To know that Alec was going to wake up here each morning, that he’d come back here each night – it wasn’t something Magnus had thought about doing with anyone before. He’d always made sure to keep his home as his own. Any relationship he was in, they’d kept their own homes, happily separating now and again only to come back together. The closest he’d come to sharing a home was Camille.

Even then, he’d bought a new place to share with her, though it’d still been _his_. One that he’d promptly sold after she was gone.

But sharing a home with Alec? Making Magnus’ space into something that was _theirs_? He couldn’t think of anything better.

Now, to figure out how to present that to a dragon whose species was known for being very careful about marking their territory as _theirs_ , and for not giving it up without a fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one took me a while and I'm so sorry. It's a lot of conversations that help move us along from where we are to where I want us to go.

Leaving the loft wasn’t the easiest thing Alec had ever done. More than anything he wanted to go right back there and curl up in that big bed that smelled so much like him and Magnus. He wanted to wrap them up in the sensations of soft blankets and bare skin and ignore the rest of the world around them.

Alec drew in a deep breath as he stepped out of the portal and into his office. The fact that he could still smell the two of them even here had him smiling.

He hadn’t expected the surprise Magnus had ready for him when he got out of the shower. It’d been absolutely _perfect_. To take their combined scent with him, to wear something against his skin that still carried a hint of Magnus’ heat to it along with a strong dose of his natural scent, was the best gift Magnus could’ve given. Between the shirt he wore under his jacket, and the scarf curled around his neck, Alec was surrounded by his boyfriend in a way he wouldn’t have been otherwise. He loved it.

Even if Magnus _had_ chosen a rather ridiculous shade of blue for the scarf.

Being able to keep that scent right there with him allowed Alec to continue to ride the high of last night even as he settled in at his desk. Not even the prospect of a full day of looks, remarks, and paperwork was enough to dim the happy glow inside of him. He felt refreshed, relaxed, and ready to attempt to take on the day.

First on his agenda was putting in place a few different plans to get this Institute running smoother. At the moment there were a lot of unhappy Shadowhunters, and Alec knew he was going to soon be getting a few transfer requests out of here. Some of which he’d be more than happy to give. But maybe if he could get ahead of a few of them, make a point to let everyone see and know that this didn’t change him, he might be able to head some of that off.

Dealing with people was a pain in the ass. Alec wished he could bring Magnus in to help him figure it all out, at least. For every little thing Alec learned about human behavior, he felt like there was always something else, something more, that he didn’t know about. Or something that he got wrong.

Last night, after the two of them had finished and they’d laid wrapped up in one another, Alec had talked briefly with Magnus about what he was facing here at work. They’d spent some of the time between round one and round two trying to come up with multiple different plans. One of which Alec wasn’t looking forward to. At all.

If Alec wanted to have any control of this Institute and its people, he needed to make sure he was going to have the power and authority in which to do so. That meant making a phone call Alec wasn’t at all eager to make.

A quick check of his wards guaranteed no one was going to disturb Alec. Only then did he reach out and pick up the phone.

It didn’t take long for Alec’s call to get patched through. He sat back in his desk chair and crossed one leg over the other while he waited. He listened to the phone ring in his ear and tried to resist the urge to reach out and tap his fingers along the desk. This phone call was important - likely one of the most important calls he was going to make - and he needed it to go well. The outcome of this was going to make or break the Institute for the next little while.

“ _Hello, Mr. Lightwood_.”

The sound of Imogen's voice had Alec stilling. Though she couldn't see him, he straightened himself up a little more, shoulders unconsciously going back into a soldier’s posture. “Good morning, Madame Inquisitor. I hope I'm not disturbing you.”

“ _Luckily enough, you're not. What can I do for you this morning_?”

While most of the Clave dealt in politics, something that could set Alec on edge on a good day, talking with Imogen - while frustrating - was also a bit refreshing. She was often blunt and straightforward. She was also rather hard and unmoving which was why people didn't like to deal with her. But her sharp honesty was a trait Alec could appreciate and enjoy.

It also encouraged him to forget the rules and respond in kind, something that he would likely get in trouble for anywhere else but that he was beginning to suspect had Imogen's respect as well. Likely she had to deal with far more politics than Alec did. He had no doubt that had to be frustrating for her.

“I was hoping to take a few moments of your time to discuss my Institute,” Alec said. His use of the word 'my' was deliberate. Something that he knew she'd catch.

For a second the line went quiet. Then Imogen's voice came back, just as steady as before, though with just a hint of a bite to it. “ _I must admit, I've been hearing some interesting things about your Institute, Mr. Lightwood. Perhaps now might be a good time to explain those things to me._ ”

“That was my sincere hope, Madame Inquisitor.”

With a deep breath, Alec prepared himself to put everything on the line, lay it all out, in the hopes that he and Magnus weren't wrong. They’d done their best to try and plot out this conversation. To figure out a way to make this work to their advantage instead of their loss. Now, all Alec could do was speak his mind and hope that he wasn’t about to lose everything.

* * *

The whole conversation took two hours. Two hours of Alec telling Imogen everything that had been happening in New York lately, explaining his relationship to the High Warlock of Brooklyn and trying to justify it to one of the Clave's more bitter members. For all that Imogen could do good things, or that Alec could understand some parts of her, this was a part he wasn't ever going to understand. It made it harder for him to argue it. He didn't understand why it was that she hated on Downworlders the way she did. Nor where she got her ideas from about their behavior.

But even with her suspicions, her threats, and even her insults, Alec kept his voice as calm as he could. There was no one there to see the way he clenched at the arm of his chair. Or the four pens that he'd snapped in half. No one was around to see the flash of gold in his eyes when he got too angry. The wards that Magnus had put around his office ages ago meant that there wasn't any way for anyone to sense the random surges of magic when Imogen said something truly offensive.

Somehow, Alec managed to keep his anger to those little displays at a minimum, not letting it leak into his voice or his words. Only once or twice did his voice get sharp. And that was when Imogen dared suggest that Alec would let his work be impaired by his relationship. That he might allow his Shadowhunters to be hurt in his effort to protect Downworlders – all so as not to piss off his boyfriend.

“I beg your pardon, Madame Inquisitor, but that's bullshit,” Alec told her bluntly. He heard her suck in a breath at his words, yet he didn't stop. He kept talking before she could get a word in edgewise. “I've been dating Magnus for months now, and not once has my work been impacted by it. If anything, I've accomplished more recently than I ever have.”

“ _You've been dating for months_?” Imogen’s shock was clear to hear.

“Since long before the Fairchild family was brought into my Institute,” Alec confirmed. “Dating Magnus hasn't impacted my work in any way. If anything, it's improved it. Being happy, having someone in my life to support me, makes me a better person. A better leader. My people here are happy, safe, and our casualty rate is leagues below other Institutes. If you'd look at the email I just sent you...”

And just like that, Alec turned conversation from his personal life to the statistics of his Institute, something which he could speak about at length. He talked numbers for missions, demon sightings, injuries, casualties, everything. Maybe Imogen could argue against his personal life. She couldn’t argue against facts.

By the time the conversation was over, Alec felt exhausted and very, very pleased.

“ _I'm impressed, Mr. Lightwood_ ,” Imogen had said right at the end. “ _While I can't say I approve of what you choose to do in your personal life, I have to admit that I'm rather impressed with what you've done in your professional life. I won't say that I don't have my misgivings. However, if you're willing to keep Ms. Branwell there as you suggested for the next six months to work as your second, I'm willing to give this a trial run_.”

“Thank you, Madame Inquisitor. You won't regret it.”

By the time Alec hung up the phone he found himself sitting there just staring at it for the longest time. The urge to laugh bubbled up in his chest. His. The Institute was _his_. Granted, it was on a trial basis, and Lydia was going to stay here to supervise him and act as his second. But at the end of the day the place and the people in it were _his_. He had control of his Clan now – as it should be.

Others might not see that much of a difference between the 'Acting Head' title and this one, but it was a massive one. No longer did Alec have to tell anyone that he was Acting Head of anything. No one outside the Institute needed to know that Alec was anything other than the Head of the Institute. And while Lydia was going to be reporting on him directly to Imogen, she was still Alec's subordinate. Some areas she was going to have to listen whether she liked it or not. That was how Shadowhunters worked.

So many other things could start to change now, as well. Things that had been done a certain way for as long as Alec had known. His parents had run a tight ship, and they'd been stern about quite a few things while being lax on others. This was Alec's chance to correct all that. To start to run things the way that he'd always wanted to.

Alec was caught up in all his planning when the door to his office suddenly snapped open without a knock or a by-your-leave. Every inch of Alec immediately tensed at the intrusion. Though it couldn't be seen, his magic was gathered at the ready, while at the same time his hand darted to one of the blades hidden around his desk and chair.

The sight of the girl storming in had him releasing his hold on both.

Clary Fairchild looked like fury incarnate as she stormed into his office, her mother just a few seconds behind her and desperately reaching out for Clary's arm. It was clear Clary was ignoring Jocelyn. All of her furious attention was fixed right on Alec, and he was pretty sure he knew why. Still, he waited silently for her to reach him. _This is going to be interesting._

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Clary demanded, marching right up to him to stand on the other side of his desk, arms over her chest and a heavy glare on her face.

Her sharp tone had Alec's eyebrows shooting up toward his hairline. “Excuse me?”

Jocelyn had reached her daughter's side by then, and she was tugging on Clary's arm, trying to draw her back a step. While Clary might be too angry to realize what kind of mistake she was making, and too naïve in the way of Shadowhunters, her mother clearly was not. “Clary...”

The girl didn't hear her at all. Clary yanked her arm free from her mother's grip and continued to glare at Alec. “You heard me. I just got off the phone with Simon. He told me what happened. What you did. You had no right to make that decision for him!”

Though Alec had started this out with the intention to let her rant, he quickly abandoned that the more she spoke. _Enough is enough_. The dragon in Alec was roaring at the blatant disrespect from this tiny little _hatchling_. Though Alec kept a tight hold on himself, his voice was flat and sharp when he said, “Sit down, Fairchild.”

“I won't...”

“Sit _down_ ,” Alec snapped. He packed every bit of authority into his voice that he could. There was no way in hell he was going to sit here and let her talk to him like that. Even by Shadowhunter standards this girl was being more than just disrespectful. By dragon standards… she was lucky he didn’t wrap her in magic and throw her into her chair.

Alec swept his gaze over Jocelyn, the sharp look he gave her warning her to sit down as well. When they both did, Clary still looking at him with surprise as she went, Alec calmly pushed up from his desk and walked over to the door. While he'd been tempted to slam it shut with magic, that wasn't the smart move. Revealing to either one of these women that he was in possession of magic, let alone any hints of what he truly was, wasn't something he was willing to do. Nor was it the smart thing. So he settled for walking over there and shutting it far more calmly than he felt.

When he turned back around, Jocelyn had her hand on Clary's arm and was giving her a look that Alec had seen on his own mother's face before. one that said: _be quiet_ and _let me handle this_.

It wasn't going to do her any good. Not only did Alec doubt that Clary would even listen, he was also far beyond the point of keeping his calm about this.

Alec walked back over to his desk and sat down in his chair. He said nothing while he got settled. He just scooted himself forward, folded his arms on his desk, and then looked up and fixed Clary with a sharp glare. “Let me make one thing clear to you, Ms. Fairchild.” Alec's voice was sharp, and far colder than he'd used with her so far. But he needed to make a point here and he wanted to make absolutely sure that she got it. “I've given you a lot of leeway since your arrival. You've been in a shitty situation, and I get that. I understand. But your grace period here is at an end.”

“What...”

“Be quiet,” Alec snapped. He watched, a bit gratified, at how Clary actually sat back in her seat at those words. Jocelyn's hand tightened on her arm, yet she didn't speak up either. Assured that they were going to be quiet, Alec continued on in a calmer, steadier tone that was no less threatening for its quietness. “I've given you ample time to get settled in here and start to learn our ways. Out of respect for the fact that you weren't raised with our laws and customs, I've made a point to grant you some leeway towards the blatant disrespect you show. I assumed that your mother, at least, would help teach you what you needed to know.”

Here, he cut a sharp look to Jocelyn and was surprised to find her dropping her eyes. Alec ignored that and turned his gaze back to Clary, who had her chin up, a defiant look on her face.

If she thought she could glare him into submission she had another thing coming. Alec could glare with the best of them, and he'd grown up with a sister who could out glare and out pout anyone she met.

Alec gave her a cold smile and kept on talking. “So, as I said – your grace period is over. As of right now, I'm going to put you under the care of a tutor. You'll report to them starting first thing tomorrow morning, where you'll spend your morning in physical training and rune studies. After lunch, you're going to shift to history lessons. Not just for Shadowhunter history, but Downworlder as well. As for nightly patrols, you’re grounded until your trainer gives me their personal report stating your competency to go into the field.”

“You can't do that!” Clary said, sitting up straight. Her eyes were wide in surprise, and her mouth dropped open slightly in clear shock.

Alec snorted at her. “Actually, yes. I can. Not only am I your superior - along with most of the rest of the staff here - I am the Head of this Institute. The Head of the Institute _you_ currently reside in. You will damn well start showing me some of the respect I deserve, otherwise you're going to find yourself shipped off to Alicante faster than you can blink. Do you understand me?”

“We understand,” Jocelyn hurried to say, her hand visibly tightening on Clary's. She knew better than her daughter did just how precarious their position here was. She knew how quickly Alec could take it all away. While he might be younger than her, he was the leader here, and Jocelyn knew how to respect that. She hadn't really been giving Alec all that many problems so far. No, that pleasure rested solely on her daughter's shoulders.

Alec nodded at Jocelyn, accepting her word for now and trusting that she would take the time to explain it all to Clary later. Hopefully she'd finally be able to make her daughter see the truth.

That done, Alec turned his focus back over toward a sullen looking Clary. “Now, what was it that had you busting into my office without a summons or even a knock?”

Some of the wind had been stole from Clary’s sails. Yet there was still a clear fire in her. One that was reignited at the reminder of what had brought her here to begin with. “Like I said, I talked to Simon,” Clary said, her voice sharper than it should've been, yet less furious than it'd been before. Good. She was learning a little control.

Nodding his head, Alec sat back in his seat. He'd had a feeling that was what this was going to be about. He was also as prepared for it as possibility. Magnus had tried to help him get himself ready for what to do or say when Clary brought this to him. “Okay.”

Her eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. “That's all you have to say? Okay?”

“No. I was prepared to say more when you interrupted me,” Alec said flatly. Her cheeks filled with color and he took a small sense of grim satisfaction out of that. When she stayed quiet, he continued. “I get that you're not happy about this, and I understand that. If someone had done this to Izzy or Jace without my knowledge, I'd be pissed off, too.”

Clary seemed surprised to find him so understanding. Her mouth fell open, though no words came out.

Folding his hands on the desk in front of him, Alec leaned forward, his eyes fixed on her. “Raphael brought me Simon's body as soon as he found out what happened. He wanted to try and figure out what to do without starting a war. I'm the one that made the decision to let Simon be buried and reborn, and you have every right to be upset about that. However, _Simon_ is the only one who's truly allowed to be angry with me. If he wants to be angry over this, that's on him. If not, you need to respect his decision.”

“Like you did?” Clary snapped.

“I did the only thing I could do in that moment,” Alec said simply. “Was it a bad situation? Yes. Would I do the same thing all over again if I found myself there?” He paused, knowing that she wasn't going to like this and yet unwilling to lie. “Yes.”

“What gives you the right to make that decision for him?”

“Would you rather he were dead?”

The stricken look on Clary's face almost made him feel bad. Might have, if it made any sense to him. No matter how much Magnus had tried to explain things it didn’t really make it make complete sense to Alec. He got the gist of it, but in his mind it all boiled down to that one bit of information – would they all rather Simon was dead? Because that was the only alternative here. Either he was dead, or he was a vampire. Why was it a big deal that Alec had helped make that choice? At least he hadn’t left the former-mundane dead.

Alec didn't give Clary a chance to say anything after that. Shaking his head, Alec sat back in his seat and folded his hands in his lap. “I'm not going to discuss this further. What happened has happened - there's no changing it. Whether you like it or not, Simon is a vampire now, and the last I checked he wasn't _happy_ about it but he was _okay_ with it. That's the only opinion that matters to me. Now, if you don't mind, I have work to be doing, and you have one free day left before your training starts. I suggest you make the most of it. I'll have a note delivered to your rooms tonight with your training schedule and the name of your trainer.”

Even if Clary didn't look happy at having their meeting cut off so abruptly, Jocelyn was smart enough to know when to retreat. She gathered Clary up before she could have a chance to even start to protest.

Alec watched the two of them go, not quite sure whether he wanted to shake his head or rub at his forehead. How was it that two women brought so much trouble to his life? Sure, yeah, Jocelyn wasn't really that bad. She tried to be good for the most part. But her daughter was her responsibility and so far she wasn't doing anything to help get Clary under control.

They were going to fix that, though. Now that this place was his, there was a lot that Alec was going to do, and he wasn't going to let Clary and her impulsive actions ruin that for him. She needed trained – fast – and Alec knew just the person to do it.

* * *

The rest of Alec's morning was a blur of phone calls, meetings, and all the paperwork that was necessary to acknowledge the change in power around the Institute. After that, he had to call Lydia in and make sure that not only had she gotten the message from Imogen about her new job, but that she was okay with it, too. If Lydia wasn't happy with it, Alec would do everything in his power to make sure she didn't have to stay.

When he told her that, she looked stunned. “Why?”

“Aside from the fact that you didn't ask for this, and I essentially volunteered you?” Alec asked, arching an eyebrow at her. He huffed out a low laugh. “I won't have someone working with me, and reporting on me, who's already angry about being forced to be somewhere they don't want to be.”

Lydia looked slightly impressed by that. Her eyebrows went up for a moment, and then her expression melted into something a little softer. “You're going to make a good leader,” she said, surprising him. “You're blunt, honest, straightforward, and it's clear that you care about your people. They're lucky to have you, and I count myself honored to be working underneath you for the next six months.”

Alec felt a little spurt of pride in his chest at hearing that. Not just at her willingness to work with him - her _pride_ , apparently - but at the compliment to his Clan and his care toward them. “Let's hope you continue to say that after you see what I have planned for the next few months,” he said wryly.

“Let's see it.”

The two of them sat together at Alec’s desk, her on one side and him on the other, and Alec laid out all his plans for the next six months. He showed her papers, laid out every little detail that he felt it important for her to know - keeping back only a few things. The two of them discussed it all in depth while they worked.

Lydia had a sharp mind and good input. The more they talked, the more that Alec was sure he'd made the right choice in suggesting that she work as his second. Not only was it going to give the Clave a bit of insight into things here, which would make them more comfortable and more likely to leave him alone, he was also going to benefit from Lydia's experience and her sharp mind. Two things that Alec had no problem drawing on while she was here under his care.

They'd been working for so long Alec had lost track of time. It wasn't until a knock on his door alerted him that he finally looked up from what they were doing. To his surprise, it wasn't one of his Shadowhunters that he sensed on the other side of the door.

It was his boyfriend.

Alec's lips curved up into a smile even as he called out a low “Come in.”

The door opened and Magnus poked his head in first, smiling brightly at the sight of Alec. “I hope I'm not interrupting anything.”

“No, not at all. Come in, Magnus.”

The warlock pushed the door open and stopped fully inside. He shut the door behind him before he made his way over toward Alec. Neither one of them let Lydia's presence stop them from giving their usual greetings. Magnus came right up to Alec and bent down to give him a quick kiss - one that Alec stretched his head up for.

When they broke apart, they were both smiling. “I knew you were going to be busy this morning, so I thought I'd stop by briefly and see if you'd had a chance to stop and take care of yourself,” Magnus said. He leaned against the back of Alec's chair and cast a look over the documents on the desk. “Judging by this mess, I'd guess that answer is a no.”

“We've been a little bit busy,” Alec said, smiling a little.

Magnus tilted to look down at him, one eyebrow up. “Too busy to eat?” When Alec ducked his head, Magnus laughed, bending down to press a quick kiss against the top of his head. Then he looked across the desk and offered Lydia a grin that clearly dazzled the poor girl, much to Alec's amusement. “You have to watch this one, my dear. He has a tendency to forget the rest of the world exists when he starts working. Things like sleeping and eating tend to get forgotten.”

Alec scoffed - louldy. “Like you're any better when you get working, High Warlock. I've seen you come out of your apothecary after a three-day-binge in which you didn't sleep and you barely ate. And you don't have an excuse not to get food.” Lifting his hand, Alec made a gesture to mock Magnus' magic, enjoying the way it had the warlock giving him a look of affront.

Of course, both he and Magnus knew that Alec could do exactly the same thing, at least if he was alone. The fact that Magnus couldn't call him out on it with Lydia there only made Alec grin all the more.

As if to make up for that, and because Magnus was an overprotective mother hen sometimes, Magnus lifted a hand and snapped before waving it over the desk, gathering all their papers together and putting them in a pile off to the side. Another snap called up a couple of plates and a platter that was full of fruits, vegetables, and what looked to be potato salad and chicken.

Alec's mouth practically watered at the sight of it all.

Lydia looked surprised, especially when she realized there was a plate in front of her as well as in front of Alec. “Oh! Mr. Bane, you didn't have to do that.”

“Nonsense,” Magnus said, waving his hand dismissively. “You've clearly been in here working as hard as Alexander has. Why shouldn't you get something to eat as well?”

Alec nodded his agreement. “Help yourself, Lydia.” Then, lifting his head to Magnus, he gave his boyfriend a curious look. “You're not staying to eat with us?”

“Oh, no. I can actually tell that you're busy, darling. I wouldn't dream of interrupting what you two were doing. Especially not now that I know you've at least had something to eat.”

It wasn't Alec who responded to that, surprisingly – it was Lydia. She smiled up at Magnus. “Oh please, join us.” A bit of color touched her cheeks in a rather endearing look of embarrassment. “I’ve actually been rather excited to meet you.”

Magnus perked up at that. He preened just a bit, the vain little peacock. Alec watched it all with a fond look on his face that he didn't even bother to try and wipe away. He didn't care who knew just how sappy he was for Magnus.

“Oh?” Magnus said, giving a pleased little shimmy that Alec felt more than saw. “Well. That's to be expected. I am rather magnificent.”

Lydia looked like she had no idea how to respond to that, while Alec snorted as loud as he could. “And so modest too, Magnus.”

Grinning, his boyfriend winked at him. “Now, now, darling, no need to get snide. I'm sure Lydia was quite impressed with you, too. But you've had your turn to talk to her. Let the woman say what she's come here to say.”

“And boost your ego even more?” Alec gave a shake of his head, mock seriousness on his face.

Magnus shamelessly shoved against Alec, nudging him back just enough that the warlock could drop right down into his lap, forcing himself between Alec and Lydia. “Ignore him.” There was a laugh in Magnus' voice that had Alec grinning. “Now, you were saying something about my magnificence, Ms. Branwell?”

The way that Lydia was looking at them was with a faint hint of amusement. A much better response than most might've given, which only furthered Alec's opinions of her. She wasn't sneering, wasn't looking at them in disgust, wasn't giving any outward signs of being unhappy or uncomfortable in front of them.

Which had likely been what Magnus was looking for - the whole reason he was being so brazen out in public like this. Not even when they went out to eat or out to a bar did they sit on one another. Only at home.

But it was very much a Magnus thing to do to test her out this way.

“You two are ridiculous,” Lydia told them plainly, though the smile on her face softened the words. “You're as bad as my parents.”

“Should I be complimented or insulted by this?” Magnus asked.

Lydia's grin grew wider. “Complimented, definitely. My parents were ridiculously in love right up until the day they died. Their relationship was what I always strived for. Though I can't say I'm going to ever get it, not again, I can't begrudge someone else for finding it.” Her smile took on a pained edge that had Alec wanting to reach out for her, which surprised him. Physical touches weren’t really his thing.

They weren’t hers, either. Alec had gotten to know her well enough these past few days to know that she wasn't the type to want the physical comfort for something like this. Nor was she the type to want it acknowledged at all, really.

To help with that, Alec gave Magnus' hips a squeeze, a silent request for him to keep quiet, and Alec steered the topic forward. “Why don't you just go ahead and ask him your questions, Lydia? It'll keep him from getting too big a head at all these compliments.”

Magnus playfully wiggled so that he could turn himself and shook a mock glare Alec's way. “You're being unfairly mean to me today, my love.” Turning back to Lydia, he gave another wiggle of his hips, this time much more deliberate, though he played it off like nothing while he smiled at their guest. “What kind of questions did you have, my dear?”

Alec sat back in his chair, one arm around Magnus' waist, and watched as Lydia started to launch into questions about what it was like to make the portal, and to work with her ancestor. The fact that Magnus clearly remembered him had Lydia lighting up even more. The two of them fell into an easy conversation that Alec was more than content to simply listen to. He picked up some fruit bits to munch on and took what little ones Magnus offered back to him, feeling far more content inside the Institute than he ever had before.

* * *

Lunch with Magnus and Lydia proved just what Alec needed to chase away the last of his tension the morning had left him with. By the time they both left, Alec felt much more relaxed than he had before.

Lydia walked out with a promise to keep an eye on the place for the evening – Alec had told her he was taking the night off – and a plan to meet in the morning to discuss how the night went as well as the beginning of some of their future plans. Magnus stayed behind for a moment so that they could have their own goodbye in private. Lydia was kind enough to shut the door behind her to make sure they had that chance, too.

They didn't waste a moment of it. As soon as Lydia was gone, Magnus – who had moved from Alec's lap to hug Lydia goodbye – sat down on the edge of the desk and bent in to steal a kiss. When they pulled apart, he was smiling. “I can see what it is you like about her. She's going to make a good second for you, I think.”

“She'd be a good beta,” Alec said easily.

“You think she'll stick around long enough for that? I didn't think that was a position one just, walked away from.”

Alec sat back in his chair and smirked a little. “I think I've got six months to convince her.”

That brought a laugh out of Magnus. His eyes were twinkling with mirth. “If anyone can do it, sayang, it'd be you.”

The two shared one last kiss, a little deeper than the last, before Magnus had to go off to his own appointment. The last one of the day. Before he left, he reminded Alec: “Don't work too late. My friends will be there for dinner, and it'd look bad for one of the hosts to be late to his own dinner party.”

The words were teasing, and Alec knew that if he happened to be late it wasn't like Magnus would actually be mad at him for it. He rarely ever got mad at Alec for something like that. A perk of dating the High Warlock of Brooklyn was that Magnus understood what it was like to have responsibilities that weren't always easily put down. He knew that stuff happened, and sometimes it happened outside of work hours. While neither one of them might like having their time together interrupted, they both knew that it was bound to happen.

“I'll be there,” Alec promised him. “Lydia's going to keep an eye on things tonight so I don't have to worry about things here, and I really just have one more meeting before I'll be home. I have to set up Clary's tutor and make sure all the arrangements are taken care of. Then I'll be home.”

“We should have a little time to ourselves then, before our guests arrive.”

Judging by the flash of heat in Magnus' eye, Alec knew exactly how his boyfriend was hoping to spend that time, and he wasn't going to argue that at all.

That thought helped keep Alec warm and smiling as he set about cleaning up his office and preparing for his next visitor. This really was the last thing he had to do today, and it was one he knew was going to stress him out. Hopefully it went well. He clung to that hope, and to the promise of what he had to look forward to when the workday was done, using those to keep himself calm as he once more sat behind his desk and prepared himself for the meeting.

It was no surprise when he heard a knock right at the stroke of two. He hadn't expected anything less. Calm, and as composed as he was going to be, Alec called out “Come in!”

He looked up and watched as the door opened and his mother came walking in.

Alec had to give her one thing – as much as Maryse might be unhappy with him at the moment, she was more respectful than most would be. She'd shown up on time, knocked, waited for permission to enter, and come in calmly, shutting the door behind her. Then she walked over and stood in front of his desk. Hands clasped behind her back, spine straight, shoulders back, chin up, Maryse stood perfectly at attention. “You requested to see me?”

Looking at her, it was almost like looking in a mirror in some ways. Alec could clearly see himself in her at that moment. He could see himself in her quite a bit, actually. Not just in her posture, though that was the exact stance that Alec often fell into, but in so many other ways. The tilt of her head, the tight press to her lips, even the curve of her jaw. Alec could see the pieces of her that he carried within himself.

For all the wrong that his mother had done, and all the times that she'd made him angry, he still loved her. He always would. She might not have done the best, and Alec knew that Magnus took exception to quite a few of the stories form Alec's childhood, but Alec had often wondered how much better he would've done in her shoes. Fresh from the Circle with a child that was unique, different, someone that many of their own kind would kill if they knew the truth about. Had all her rules been the only way she felt she could protect her family? Or was it her prejudices carried over from her time at the Circle, making her harder to a son that would always be seen as different?

He could still remember what it was like when he was small. Alec could remember the mother that had tucked them into bed and sang them lullabies. French lullabies, because she'd laughingly said once that, “French is a beautiful language for love and family.” Of course, she also said the same for Spanish, but for those little moments like lullabies and such, French was what she'd slipped into.

Those memories had Alec a bit softer than he might've been otherwise when he looked up and met his mother's gaze. His plans to talk to her calmly, to lay out his plan as new Head of the Institute, all fell to the wayside. For that brief moment, he was just a child looking up at his mother. One who wanted desperately for her to approve of him and to love him for who he was, not for who she wanted him to be.

“I'm sorry, Mom.” The words slipped out before Alec could even think to stop them. Only, he found he didn't want to. He looked up at her and dropped the masks for just a moment. Let her see the truth of what he was feeling in his true eyes – eyes that she didn't flinch away from. “I know you're mad at me, and I get it. But, I just... can you just stop for a minute? Please? Can you look at this as my mother, not as my superior? I've got this room warded. No one can hear us. It's just you and me. So can you just... please.”

There was a brief tightening around Maryse's eyes. Alec could smell the change in her scent. The shift from controlled anger to a brief flash of hurt, and then the kind of sorrow he'd only ever scented off her when she was talking about her past, or about her fears for the future.

“I _have_ been talking to you as your mother, Alec,” Maryse said slowly. Her voice was softer than normal, and for once, the typical walls that she put up between them were gone. Maybe it was the reassurance of wards to protect them that did it. Whatever it was, Alec was faced with the mother he felt like he hadn't seen since he was very, very young.

Holding on to that, Alec sat up a little more, leaning toward her. “Then talk to me now. Because this – all this fighting. I can't keep doing it. Not just for my sake, but for the sake of the Institute. I can’t have you and I at each other’s throats all the time. It’ll bleed over into everything and I’m never going to get people to respect me here if I can’t even get my own mother to respect me.”

Maryse looked like someone had slapped her in the face. Alec didn't like seeing it, nor sensing the way her scent went sharp and spiky for a moment. All at once her body slumped, and Alec hated it, hated seeing the way she sank down into a chair like her own legs wouldn't even hold her anymore. Yet he said nothing. He just sat there and waited as Maryse took a deep breath and visibly tried to pull herself together. She looked up at him with wide, aching eyes, and said the last words he'd expected. “I'm sorry.”

At his stunned look, she huffed out a sad sounding laugh.

“Is it really so shocking for me to apologize?” she asked. When he opened his mouth, she waved him off. “Don't answer that, please. I've already had enough time to reflect on myself and my shortcomings lately. I don't think I'm quite up to adding more to the list.”

Alec closed his mouth and tried to make himself wait. It was clear his mother had something to say. Past experience told him it was better to let her get it out. And, like him, she sometimes needed time to find the right words. The ones that would express what she was really feeling.

After a long pause, Maryse sighed again, and her shoulders slumped a little. “I've had some time to sit and think on things after our argument. I know... I know I've not always been the best mother to you or your siblings, but I've tried to do my best by you. All of you. Your safety, your happiness, those matter to me, even if they seem like they don't. But you have to understand, Alec - raising a child with your... situation. It wasn't easy. There was no guidebook to tell me how to raise a young dragon.” Her eyes cut up toward him. “And whether you think I realize it or not, I know that you're just as much dragon as you are Shadowhunter. You've always had quirks that weren't entirely human.”

Hearing those words, the words that Alec had used to beat himself up for so long, had him grimacing.

Almost immediately Maryse was holding up a hand, eyes wide and a protest on her lips. “No, no, I didn't mean it like that!” She dropped her hand down to her lap and deliberately blew out a breath. “I'm not saying this right. I didn't mean that as an accusation, or to disparage you in any way.”

“Then what are you trying to say?”

“I'm trying to say that you were different than the others, and I had no idea how to handle that,” Maryse told him bluntly. “And, in my efforts to try and help you hide, I pushed that part of you away as best I could because it was easier. I know what kind of a person that makes me sound like. Trust me, I do. But I don't think I truly thought of the consequences to it. Not until you stood here and told me bluntly that you'd found your mate, and there would never be another for you.” This time Maryse's smile was soft, with a hint of sadness and pain at the edges of it. She looked down and away, and her shoulders drew up just a little. A defensive gesture that she shared with her daughter. “They say Shadowhunters love once, fiercely. But I remember enough from those books that Ragnor loaned me to know that that's even more true for dragons.”

Alec felt like his breath was caught in his throat. The room was silent, still, like everything around them was holding its breath right along with Alec, waiting to see what would happen next. Where they would end up. This moment – it was the type of moment meant to make or break them. There'd be no coming back from it. Either Alec would walk out of here with a mother, or he would sever all ties and they would only ever be work associates.

“It's said that when a dragon finds their mate, there's nothing and no one in the world that will ever replace them. Entire civilizations have been burnt down to protect or avenge them.” Maryse licked her lips and swallowed visibly. Yet she still met Alec's gaze and held it, not backing down. “Who am I to get in the way of that?”

Though it hurt to do it, Alec knew he had to ask. “Are you saying that just because you don't want to deal with my anger if you try and get in the middle?”

Maryse let out a low laugh that was only a little broken at the edges. “I won't deny that that's something I wish to avoid. Very much so. But... I told you, Alec. It may not seem like it, but I want you to be happy. If this warlock is who makes you happy... I won't stand in the way of that.” Her voice firmed a little. “I won't lose my son over it.”

A shudder ran down Alec's spine. When he'd sent for her, this wasn't how he'd expected this meeting to go. He'd expected to have to deal with the cold iciness that he'd grown so used to getting when he did something wrong. He'd expected her to be angry, her words to be sharp and to cut straight through to the bone with that skill that all Lightwoods seemed to posses. He'd never expected... this.

The little boy in Alec wanted nothing more than to reach out to her. But the man, the dragon, couldn't trust it. Not yet. Not that easily. After years and years of fights between them, of her insisting that he keep himself out of the way, that he was going to draw too much attention, that he was failure who needed to be better, _do_ better - there was no way Alec could let all that go and just act like it never happened.

“I want to believe you, Mom,” Alec said slowly.

Maryse nodded at him, not looking the least bit surprised by his words, both what he said and what he _didn’t_ say. “I understand. I have a lot to make up for. I just... hope you'll allow me to try. And to maybe forgive if I don't get it perfect right away.”

The knot of emotion in Alec's throat made it hard for him to speak. All he could do was nod.

It got him a smile and a nod in return. Then Maryse drew in a breath, and Alec swore he could see her drawing up her shields around herself again. She lifted one hand and used a knuckle to wipe at her eyes, briefly intensifying that faint hint of salt in the air.

While she composed herself, Alec took a moment to do the same.

When they both once more had themselves under control, it was Maryse who drew them back to the whole reason behind her visit. “Was this what you summoned me for, or was there something else you needed?”

Though the words were a bit clipped, Alec let it go, knowing that sometimes she needed that bit of distance as protection just the same as he did.

He had to take a second to make his mind switch gears from one topic to the next. His mother gave him that, allowing Alec to draw in a breath and steady himself. Between one blink and the next his eyes went back to their glamoured ones.

When he met his mother's eyes, she was smiling almost sadly at him, something in their depths that he didn't understand. Her scent had changed, too, and Alec didn't understand that either. But he brushed it aside, at least for now. They'd already had all the emotional sharing they were going to be able to manage for one day.

“I wanted to speak with you about your time here,” Alec finally said. He could see that he'd caught his mother off guard.

“I haven’t thought much about it yet,” Maryse admitted slowly. “I came to try and help get some things back in order. But now...” She trailed off, clearly not sure what to say next.

Alec took pity on her. “I'm not asking because I want you to leave, Mom. I'm asking because there's a job here I'd like to offer you, at least for the next few months, but if you have other plans, I don't want to infringe on them. You were just the first person I thought of for this position.”

The pleased surprise on Maryse's face was kind of nice to see. She sat up a little bit straighter and her lips had a faint curve to them. The smile she wouldn't let out while in professional mode. “While I do have things I attend to back in Alicante, it's nothing that can't wait. Your brother is still at the Academy, and your father is taking care of his own business.”

A hint of bitterness flashed through her scent. Nothing was betrayed on the outside, though, a deliberate thing that Alec knew better than to question. While he might not often understand people or their unspoken way of handling things, he knew his mother. He'd studied her for far longer than he'd studied anyone else.

Offering her a soft smile of his own, Alec let his tone relax a little, hoping she'd take it as a hint to do the same. “It's not going to be the most glamourous of jobs. But it is important, and I wouldn't trust it to just anyone.”

“What is it?”

“I need someone to tutor Clary.”

Because he was watching so closely Alec could see the brief scowl that flashed over Maryse's features. Clearly she wasn't too pleased with the idea and Alec couldn't really blame her.

He hurried to explain himself before she could try and protest. “Right now, Clary is a loose cannon. One I can't afford having in my Institute. Especially after my conversation with Imogen this morning.” Here Alec paused, and he let himself show a bit of pride. This was one thing he knew his mother would be proud of him for. “She granted me control of the Institute this morning, effective immediately, under the condition that Lydia work as my second for the next six months. So long as things go well, the Institute will be mine completely.”

The way that Maryse's whole face lit up had Alec grinning. It seemed no matter how old he got, seeing the pride on Maryse's face when he accomplished something never got any less sweet. “Alec, that's wonderful!”

“Thank you.” He let his grin widen for a moment, only to smooth it out a second later. They still had business to discuss. “After I got done talking to Imogen, I had a conversation with both Clary and Jocelyn about the way things have been going lately. Starting tomorrow, I want to put Clary with a tutor in the mornings for runes and combat training, and in the afternoon I want her studying our histories. Shadowhunter and Downworlder alike. I already know who I want to speak to about her afternoon lessons, but I was hoping you might be willing to take over her morning ones. For her fighting style, Clary's clearly going to be good with smaller blades, and while I've heard her mom is good with them, I happen to know that you still hold quite a few records back at the Academy. She couldn't ask for a better tutor.”

“It's been a long time since I've been in any kind of battle,” Maryse demurred.

Alec felt his lips twitch a little. “Somehow I doubt you've lost the skill. I've sparred with you, Mom. I know better.”

Little crinkles appeared at the corners of Maryse's eyes the same way they did on Isabelle when she was trying to hide her humor. “You always were an eager opponent.”

“And a stubborn one,” Alec added on. “You taught me more than Hodge ever did. You're strong, fast, smart, and you know how to corral someone and not take any of their crap. Which is exactly what Clary needs. She's young, strong headed, and so convinced that she knows better in almost every way. She needs someone who isn't going to be afraid to point out when she does something wrong.” She already had enough people telling her when she did something even the slightest bit right.

For some people, training under Maryse wouldn't work. It hadn't worked all that well for Alec. He'd never done well with the stick over the carrot when it came to training. Or, he did, but to the detriment of his own health as Isabelle liked to remind him.

Now, Clary, who was a lot like Isabelle, seemed like the type to respond well to the challenge that Maryse would offer. Clary wouldn't flinch from the sharp comments or the cool demeanor. If anything, Alec predicted that it would only make Clary feel like she needed to try harder just to prove Maryse wrong. That competitiveness might be enough to get past Clary’s stubborn refusal to do what she was told by someone other than her mother.

For a few minutes the room was quiet. Alec sat back in his seat and watched as Maryse thought about it. She didn't just blurt out an answer, something Alec respected about her. She thought it through from all different angles.

When she looked up again and caught Alec's eye, he knew what her answer would be.

“I can take a quick trip back to Alicante tonight and rearrange a few things to clear my schedule for the next few months. I should be back in time to start in the morning.”

“I'll make sure to have a room ready for you, and preparations made,” Alec assured her.

Just yesterday Alec wouldn't have been able to think about having his mom here at the Institute with him. Having her stay was something to be scared of, not something to look forward to. But their conversation today had given him hope. Hope that maybe his words had sunk in for her. That maybe, just maybe, she was willing to try and change.

That didn't mean that he wasn't going to warn her, though. Alec sat up and folded his hands on the desk, resting his weight on his arms so that he could lean forward in a way he knew was imposing. His eyes flashed with a hint of power and his voice hardened. “This is your one chance, Mom. If you're going to be here, I'm going to hold you to the same standards as anyone else. That means that you're going to treat the people here with respect – whether they're a Shadowhunter or a Downworlder.”

Maryse didn't back down from the look in Alec's eyes. She held her own, staying upright and strong as she nodded. “I expect nothing less. I wouldn't dream of asking for special treatment.”

Wouldn't that be a novel idea? Alec wasn't sure he'd know what to do with a family member who actually respected his authority _consistently_ instead of just when they wanted to.

“Good.” Pushing off his desk, Alec rose to his feet, and his Mom did the same. “Then I'm happy to have you here, Mom.”

“I'm happy to be here.” She sounded like she meant it, too.

Alec smiled as he watched her walk out of his office with a bit more pride to her step than she'd walked in with.

With that taken care of, all Alec had to do was make sure a room was arranged for her, that there was a training room booked for her and Clary for the morning over the next little while, and that the time and location were sent down to Clary's room that night. Once he finished that, it was time to head over to the loft to try and get in a little one-on-one time with Magnus before their guests showed up.

Maybe if Alec kept himself busy enough through the afternoon he might be able to forget about being nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments! I've been terrible at responding lately, but I read all of them and they help :) Trust me, they do <3


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